Home & Garden

John Pollock will never forget the fall of 2001. That was when a raging wildfire tore through his mountaintop community near Sevierville, burning up 1,500 acres and destroying six homes.

“It was scary. From my deck, I actually watched the six homes burn,” says Pollock, who lives in the Upper Bluff Mountain community adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “As I saw an orange glow approaching over a ridge, I began thinking about what I needed to start taking out of my house.”

Fortunately for Pollock, firefighters got the fire under control before it reached his home. But because of that experience, he and other homeowners in the Upper Bluff Mountain community would never be the same.

Less than a year after the fire, residents of Upper Bluff Mountain banded together to become a nationally recognized Firewise community. Theirs is one of four communities in Tennessee that participate in the national Firewise program, which encourages homeowners to take responsibility in protecting their homes from wildfire.

“There are an average of 3,000 wildfires in Tennessee each year, and they occur all over the state,” says Leon Konz, fire prevention and Firewise coordinator for the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “More than half of the homes that have burned could have been protected by applying some basic Firewise principles, such as proper landscaping and choosing fire-resistant home construction materials.”

The Firewise movement began in the western United States, where wildfires commonly make news headlines. Tennessee got on board in 2003.

“Our wildfires aren’t as dramatic as out West. We don’t usually make CNN,” says Jim Dale, assistant district forester for the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “But as more people move into rural areas, we’ve seen the loss of homes due to wildfires really increase here.”

In 2007, for example, the Tennessee Division of Forestry responded to 3,269 wildfires that burned 44,067 acres and resulted in the loss of 34 homes and 195 outbuildings. The total value of lost property exceeded $3 million.

Tennessee wildfires happen for several reasons, including natural causes such as lightning and a combination of dry, hot and windy weather as well as unnatural causes such as arson and irresponsible burning practices. Most of the time, however, homes aren’t burned down by rampant walls of fire.

“Most homes are lost due to smaller things, like embers falling on roofs where there are dead leaves and pine needles,” Konz explains.

Flaming embers can be carried several miles by the wind, and they easily kindle dry leaves and pine needles on roofs, in rain gutters, and under decks and porches. Tennessee’s fire-prone oak-hickory forest type puts the state even more at risk for wildfires.

“National statistics show that more homes burn east of the Mississippi from forest fires than out West. You just don’t hear about it,” Dale says. “It’s very surprising, but that’s the way it is.”

When fire responders arrive at the scene of a wildfire, they have to make quick decisions about which homes they will try to save. A home built in a thicket at the top of a steep and narrow driveway, for example, would be too dangerous to save if the homeowner had not implemented any Firewise principles.

“Lives are first, and property is second. And some homeowners have set themselves up for disaster,” says Jonathan Boggs, assistant district forester for the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “If you have done nothing to protect your house, we can’t try to save it. We’re going on to the next house.”

That’s not to say Tennesseans shouldn’t live in secluded, natural settings surrounded by scenic forestland. If properly constructed and maintained, even homes in wooded areas can survive wildfires.

“But living in fire-prone areas brings with it the responsibility of taking the initiative of creating defensible space around homes and other structures,” Dale says. “Firewise principles are simple things, not rocket science – clean out gutters, replace wooden roofs and don’t keep your grill under your deck full of leaves. We’ve got homes burning down all over the state because people don’t think.”

In addition to Sevierville’s Upper Bluff Mountain community, Tennessee Firewise communities include Sprucy Ridge in Mountain City, Cumberland Lakes in Monterey and Cumberland Cove in Crossville. Gary Peach is chairman of Cumberland Cove’s Wildfire Committee.

“Our community realized fire was a concern because we’re about 1,700 lots, and it’s all wooded,” Peach says. “Since we live in the woods with a lot of dead tree limbs and falling leaves, we’re vulnerable.”

In 2003, homeowners in Cumberland Cove contacted the Tennessee Division of Forestry for help becoming a Firewise community.

“They’ve been extremely helpful with getting equipment and training for us,” Peach says. “Now we have a list of 50 community members trained to fight wildfires, and they put out about one fire a year. Our work is really paying off.”

Firewise is a free program, and communities retain complete control over what actions are taken.

For more information on how to become a Firewise community, visit www.burnsafetn.org, contact your local Division of Forestry office or contact Konz at (865) 414-5567. 

Firewise Tips

Tennessee’s peak wildfire season is October through May. Whether you live next to a wooded area or in a subdivision, all homeowners can take simple steps toward making their houses more Firewise:

Remove leaves, pine needles and other debris from around the house, roof, gutters, woodpiles and under decks.

Clear away brush, tall grass and pine trees that are within 30 feet of your home.

Plant fire-resistant vegetation. Plants that keep their leaves all year – such as pines, laurel, holly and juniper – are more flammable than plants that drop their leaves in the fall.

Replace wooden roofing with metal or asphalt shingles.

Use a concrete-based siding such as brick, stone or stucco instead of vinyl.

Install double-pane or tempered glass windows.

Install chimney screens and cover all vents with wire mesh.

Screen underneath decks and porches.

Keep firewood well away from your house.

Keep propane tanks cleaned around and visible.

Make sure no tree limbs are hanging over your roof, and trim trees so their crowns do not touch one another.

Identify your home with legible and clearly marked street names and numbers.

Make sure your driveway is at least 12 feet wide with a vertical clearance of 15 feet and a slope of less than 5 percent to provide access to emergency vehicles.

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Fall 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
Clear and Present Danger

Summary:
Contrary to popular belief, wildfires can happen in Tennessee.

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